Starting mechanism for roller tractors



July 27,1926 1,593,874

R. W. KEELER STARTING MECHANISM FOR RQLLER TRACTORS Filed July 8, 1924Patented July 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES ATENT RAYMOND W. KEELER, O1 GALION', OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THEGALION IRON WORKG 8c (30., OF GALION, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STARTING MECHANISM Application filed. July 8,

This invention relates to tractors, and particularly to certain featuresof the general form of tractor illustrated and described in my pendingapplication for patent on Fordson roller tractor Serial #724,907 filedon the 8th day of July 1924.

In the Fordson tractor, the motor is started by a starting crankprojecting out from the forward end of the machine immediately beneaththe radiator and through the cylinder front cover, and until the adventof the starting mechanism now in use and disclosed in this presentapplication there were many accidents even with ordinary Ford motor carsdue to the engine being started and the clutch either not having beenthrown out or slipping so that the machine started up while a person wascranking and ran over the operator. Furthermore, it is common today tomount Fordson power plants on many different forms of tractors and alsoon different forms of road rollers Such a roller with a Fordson tractorunit or power plant is particularly difficult and dangerous to crankwhen the power plant is mounted upon the frame of a tractor whose wheelsare in advance of the power plant or upon the frame of a roller tractor,as in this case it is necessary that the operator shall stoop down orcrawl beneath the forward end of the power plant supporting frame andreach behind the front rollers and there operate the crank, in whichposition he is obviously very likely to be badly injured in case theengine starts up, which it is liable to do, and may be also badlyinjured by the crank striking him when he is in a cramped positionbetween the forward end of the frame and the front rollers. Manyaccidents have actually occurred from this source, and it is the mainobject of the present invention to do away with this cranking mechanismwhich necessitates cranking from in front of the power plant and providein place thereof cranking mechanism which is operated from the side ofthe power plant.

Another object is to provide a starting mechanism of the characterstated which is normally out of engagement with the driving shaft of theengine but which may be readily shifted into engagement therewith by theoperator, which will permit the starting mechanism tobe held inengagement with the driving shaft of the tractor by fric- FOR ROLLERTRACTORS.

1924. Serial No. 724,908.

tion as the starting mechanism and shaft are rotated to start the enginebut which will automatically cause the release of the engagement betweenthe starting mechanism and the crank shaft when the crank shaft speedsup beyond the speed of the starting mechanism.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the starting mechanismshowing one of the tractor heams in elevation;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of the structure shown in Figure1;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevation of the roller tractor showing theposition of the parts.

Referring to this drawing, it will be seen that l have indicated so muchof the tractor mechanism and framework as is necessary for anunderstanding of my invention but that I have not attempted toillustrate any of the details of such a tractor, reference being made tothe other application above referred to for suchdetails.

In the drawing, A designates the frame beam of the tractor which extendshorizontally from the rear end of the tractor for ward and then at apoint about equivalent with the lower end of the radiator extendsupward, as at A, and then forward to a point above the roller B which ismounted in the yoke C. The Fordson motor D is mounted upon the framebeams A in the manner described in my application before referred to,and the radiator of this Fordson motor is designated E. On a level belowthe radiator there is disposed the driving shaft 1 of the motor,carrying the fan pulley G. This driving shaft F at its forward end isformed with a central socket f and with the radially extending beveledslot j, as is usual.

It will be understood, of course, that the rear end of this frame Acarries the usual rear rollers. It will be seen that with theconstruction just describedit is necessary for the person starting theengine to crawl in between the front rollers and the forward end of theengine and there operate the starting crank. This is extremely difficultto do in this cramped position and very dangerous, and in order to avoidthis inconvenience I provide means whereby the engine may be startedfrom the side of the frame instead of in front of the engine. To thisend, I mount within the usual bearing H commonly found on Fordsontractors the longitudinally extending starting shaft 10. This startingshaft at its forward end has splined upon it the beveled gear 11 and atits rear end the starting shaft carries the transversely extending pin12 adapted to coact with the radially extending groove f in the shaft F.Surrounding the starting shaft and bearing against an abutment 13 is aspring :14. The shaft 10 slides through the beveled pinion 11 far enoughto insert the pin 12 into .the crank shaft of the tractor,

and when the engine starts after power being applied to the spring 10,the spring acts to pull thefisllflft 10 back to the clearanceillustrated in Figure 1 and out of its engagement with the shaft vF.

Mounted upon the forward end of the motor andextending transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the tractor is a shaft '15. A crank 16 is eitherpermanently or detachahly connected to the outer endof this shaft andpinned upon the shaft is a beveled gear wheel 1.7 which is adapted to.engage with the beveled gear pinion 11 previously described. Thus itwill be obvious that the pinion may be rotated and rotate the shaft 10.It is necessary, of course, to shift the shaft 10 rearward soas to bringthe :pin 12 into engagement with the ratchet notch 7, and to this :end Imount in suitable bearings the transverse rock shaft 18. This rock shaftis supported in suitable bearings and carries at one end the dependingfinger 19, the 10 ver end'of which is rearwardly curved and approximatesthe extremity of the crank shaft 10. The opposite endof the rock shaft18 carries upon it a radially extending arm 20 which is disposed toextend downward and rearward and is connected to a pull wire 21terminating ina finger hold.

It will be obvious now that when this wire is pulled, the finger 19 willforce the pin or shaft 10 into the socket in the crank shaft F and thatthe pin 12 will engage with the groove 7, and that when this has beenaccomplished the rotation of the crank 16 will start the motor and that,just as in the ordinary Ford car or Fordson tractor, as soon as themotor starts the spring will pull the shaft back so as to clear the pina from its engagement with the notch or groove. It is'obvious-that manyminor anodifications might be made without :departing from the spirit ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

It will be seen that with this construction a motor may be operatedwithout the operator getting in front of the machine at all and.therefore, without any danger and without the operatorhaving to getunder the machine or operate in a cramped and relative ly small space.Furthermore, this device permits Fordson engines to be need inconnection with tractors and particularly in connection with tractorroad rollers having parts, such as the wheels thereof. which aredisposed to obstruct access to the crank shaf anddisposed forward of theengine.

While I have illustrated this device as applied to such an implement asa road roller, 1 do not wish to be limited thereto, as while it isparticularly adapted for these road rollers it is also adapted todifferent forms of tractors and other implements, such as roadmaintainers scarifiers, graders and the like, wherein the tractor havingthe power plant is formed with or carries a road engaging implementforward of and which would tend to prevent or obstruct easv manipulation of the ordinary starting crank.

I claim 1. Inan implement having an engine cesigned to be started fromthe end, the implement having member obstructing access to the end ofthe engine from which it is started, means on the side of the implementwhereby the engine may be started.

2. An implement having an engine and a longitudinally extending powershaft whereby the engine is normally started from the end of the engine,the implement having a member obstructing access to the power shaft,asstarting mechanism normally out of operative engagement with the powershaft but having an operating member on the side of the implement andmanually operable at the side of'the implement, whereby the startingmechanismmay be temporarily engaged with the power shaft.

3. An implement having an internal combustion engine designed to bestarted from the front of the engine, the implement having a rollerdisposed immediately in front of the engine and obstructing access tothe front end thereof, and means on the side of the implement rearwardof said roller whereby the engine may be started.

4.. In an implement having an engine, a frame upon which the engine issupported, front and rear wheels supporting the frame, the engine beingnormally started from the front end, and means on the side of theimplement rearward of the front wheels where by the engine may bestarted.

5. An implement having an internal combu-stion engine and alongitudinally extending power shaft whereby the engine is normallystarted from the forward end of the engine, the implement including aroller mounted in advance of the engine, said roller obstructing accessto the forward end of the power shaft, starting mechanism on the side ofthe implement rearward of said roller and normally out of operativeengagement with the power shaft, and manually operable means whereby thestarting mechanism may be temporarily engaged with the power'shaft.

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6. In an implement having an internal combustion engine, alongitudinally extending power shaft whereby the engine is normallystarted from the front end thereof, the implement having a rollerdisposed immediately in front of the power shaft and obstructing accessthereto, a starting crank mounted upon the side of the engine rearwardof said roller, and manually operable means for temporarily connectingthe starting crank with the power shaft.

7. The combination with a tractor including a frame and a front wheel,an internal combustion engine supported on the frame and disposedrearward of the front wheel, the engine including a longitudinallyextending power shaft, a portion of the tractor being disposedimmediately in front of said power plant and obstructing access thereto,a starting mechanism for the engine including a crank extendingtransversely of the tractor and having its handle disposed exteriorly tothe frame of the tractor rearward of said front wheel.

8. The combination with a tractor having a front wheel, an internalcombustion engine on the tractor disposed rearward of the front wheel,said engine including a longitudinally extending power shaft, a portionof the tractor being disposed immediately in front of said power plantand obstructing access thereto, of starting mechanism for the engineincluding a crank extending transversely of the tractor and having itshandle disposed exteriorly to the frame of the tractor and rearward ofsaid front wheel.

9. The combination with a tractor having a front roller, supportingframe, an internal combustion engine mounted upon the frame rearward ofsaid front roller and including a longitudinally extending power shaftadapted to be started from the forward end of the engine, said forwardroller obstructing access to said power shaft, of starting mechanism forthe engine including a, transversely extending crank shaft mounted uponthe frame of the engine and having a crank disposed exteriorly of theengine and rearward of the front roller, a longitudinally extendingshaft disposed in alignment with the power shaft and operatively engagedat all times with the transversely extending crank shaft, manuallyoperable means for shifting said second named shaft rearward and intoengagement with the power shaft of the engine, and a spring normallyurging the second named shaft out of engagement with the power shaft oftheengine.

10. The combination with a tractor roller having a supporting framecomprising two longitudinally extending beams, the beams at theirforward ends extending upwardly and convergently, a yoke supporting theforward ends of the beams, an axle extending through the yoke, a rollermounted upon the axle, an internal combustion engine mounted upon saidframe and including a longitudinally extending drive shaft. of means forstarting the engine comprising a shaft disposed in alignment with thepower shaft and operatively supported below the radiator of the engine,said shaft being longitudinally shiftable and having means at its rearend wherebv it may be operativelv connected to the drive shaftwhenshifted rearward, a spring urging said shaft forward out of engagementwith the drive shaft, a beveled gearwheel splined on said startingshaft, a transverse shaft mounted below the engine and extendinglaterallv outward through the frame, a crank mounted on this shaftexteriorly of the frame, a beveled gear wheel mounted on the shaft andmeshing with the first n aired beveled gear wheel. a shaft supportedabove the last named shaft and extending parallel thereto and havingmeans atone end and exteriorlv of the tractor frame whereby it may beoscillated, and a finger at the other end. of the shaft bearing againstthe starting shaft and adapted when the finger is pressed inward toengage the starting shaf with the power shaft of the engine.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RAYMOND W. KEELER.

